I just read the Bradenton Herald article about the pending lawsuit regarding Smoothie King’s drive-through. Bemis Smith is quoted as saying, “We try to go outside the legal process and try to make the decisions on the governmental side.” That is one of the dumbest statements I have heard from a government official. Does Mr. Smith think that the City Council is above the law? We taxpayers will now have to pay to defend the city in a lawsuit and by past actions the city is sure to lose.
Thankfully, two council members were smart enough to vote against the Smoothie issue, namely Marianne Barnebey and Harold Byrd. I hope everyone keeps this in mind during election times.
I urge the council to reconsider this issue and make the correct legal decision.
Dale Roberts
Bradenton
Curb the bigotry against overweight people
To the letter writer who wrote “Curb health care costs and obesity with a tonnage tax” (Oct. 26).
What an original thought-provoking and evocative piece. So full of clarity and parallel thinking and logic. Why, the fat people tax revenues will be rolling in (no pun intended) enormously. We’ll be rich again. We have to recommend the brain trust behind this idea to an immediate task force on tax reform. Don’t forget your well thought-out tax formula. What was it? For every pound a person (say fatty, it’s OK) is overweight (who decides this anyway? Not a single medical statistic is cited, strangely, when there is a plethora available and this article is devoid of any that would have easily assisted her arguments) these offenders must pay a monthly penalty tax.
So, a person even five pounds overweight pays $5 in monthly taxes? Is that correct? How much we pay is left to greater minds, I guess, if that’s possible. Great formula, though.
This person’s clever and ever-so-surreptitious cloaking of her plain old, run-of-the-mill bigotry behind the guise of a legitimate debate on health care issues, why, was nothing short of literary genius. What stealth. I bought it.
But kudos to you anyway. Banal thinking, logic-lacking, statistic empty, lame writing style notwithstanding, you accomplished your goal. It hurt.
Fat people of all size, shape and color will still exist and hatred of any kind will be dealt with on a higher level. In the meantime, it’s OK to use the F word. We’ve reclaimed it, destigmatized it and we’re taking the sting out of it.
Maureen McCluskey, Honorary Member, National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance Bradenton
President Obama inherited mind-boggling problems
Some of your readers don’t seem to realize that it is much easier, by a long shot, to start a war than to end one. Our president inherited more problems than possibly any other president, and all of them are mind-boggling. He’s been in office for 10 months and you expect them to be solved? Give me a break.
And congratulations to President Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. His efforts have demonstrated his wisdom toward promoting peace in our fragile world and are much admired and appreciated.
Beverly Willis-Clark
Bradenton
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